Let’s LearnHungarian

Lesson 70 of 74 · A2, Unit 2: Grammar toolkit

Can I? May I? The -hat/-het ending

To turn 'I sit' into 'I may sit', Hungarian slips -hat or -het (by vowel harmony) between the verb stem and its ending: ül → ülhetek ('I may sit'), fizet → fizethetek ('I can pay'). Ask it as a question and you have the politest way to ask permission: Leülhetek? ('May I sit down?').

-hat/-het is about permission and possibility. For ability — knowing how to, being physically able to — use tud + infinitive instead: Tudok úszni ('I can swim').

By the end you can:

  • ask for permission politely with -hat/-het
  • tell someone what they can or may do
  • choose between -hat/-het (may) and tud + infinitive (be able to)

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